“Exciting at this point”: Landman star Ali Larter talks about playing a ‘bold’ woman in the neo-Western drama

Landman is not just a show presenting its world to the audience; it is straightaway immersing them into the emotional and industrial turmoil!

With the very first episodes, the show artistically entered into the realm of neo-Western, where often intuition prevails over moderation, and personal tumult represents the very fate of the West Texas oil industry. No one knows the turbulence more than the character Angela Norris, played by none other than Ali Larter.

Ali Larter has called it "Exciting at this point" to play the character of Angela in Landman, a role that has garnered very different reactions from the audiences and critics. As per Variety, she said:

"There’s something so delicious about playing a character who does it by her rules, who just lives her life as she wants to live it, who loves hard and free. I think it’s exciting at this point in my career and at my age to get to play someone who’s this emotionally complex and bold.”

Larter's depiction of Angela has made this character one of the most controversial and discussed characters in the series.

What Landman explores

Landman, the result of the creative mind of Taylor Sheridan, is set in the time of the oil boom in West Texas and shows the landmen's high-pressure world negotiating the mineral rights under gushing financial stakes. The series highlights that wealth, power, and risk fracture relationships and unveil the most primitive human instincts.

Landman does not depict a controlled or orderly environment but opts for a chaotic one, both industrial and personal. Emotional outbursts, rash decisions, and unresolved issues are the main elements of the story's development.

Angela Norris: A deliberate chaotic presence

In the show Landman, Ali Larter has the role of Angela Norris, who is the ex-wife of Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and the mother of their children, Cooper and Ainsley. Angela stays connected to Tommy’s life very closely despite their divorce, and this connection creates a relationship full of physical attraction, resentment, emotional pull, and unresolved trauma.

Angela is not one of those stabilizing figures that are often included in family dramas; she is depicted as "emotionally complex,". Angela is full of passion, and quite often, she reacts without thinking.

It is sometimes felt that her actions are reckless, but in fact, she is ruled by emotions and not by reasoning, a trait which has been pointed out as a hallmark of her character in most of the Landman media coverage.

Ali Larter on embracing Angela’s fire

Ali Larter has given very candid accounts about her training, Angela's craziness, in her interviews with AwardsBuzz and PopCultureUnplugged. She has emphasized that the character is one who "doesn’t always see her own flaws" and lives through the flames of passion, resentment, and emotional urgency.

As per Popcultureunplugged, she said:

"Angela is searching for fun and fabulous every day, but she’s also trying to put her family back together. That makes her decisions, though sometimes chaotic, deeply heartfelt. She doesn’t see her flaws, and that’s part of what makes playing her so rewarding."

Larter did not want to see the character of Angela as a refined or self-aware person; she saw the opportunity to play a woman who is bold, provocative, and unapologetically governed by her emotions.

One of the moments that was most talked about and discussed regarding her was a long, highly intense one-shot scene, which Larter characterized as crazy and liberating, and reinforcing that there are no bounds set for the characters in the Landman.

Angel's volatile relationship with Tommy

Angela's love story with Tommy Norris stands out in Landman and is usually named as electrifying, unstable, and full of feelings. Their past is characterized by a round of closeness, letdowns, and an attachment that has not been resolved.

Not giving emotional clarity, their relationship brings to light the dark side of long-term love relationships, which have been affected by ambition, failure, and trauma. The strong bond between the two is the source of some of the most heated scenes in the series.

Fan backlash and polarization

31st Annual Critics Choice Awards - Red Carpet - Source: Getty

Fan dissatisfaction with Angela Norris is one of the most talked about themes in the coverage of Variety and MSN. The media has referred to her as one of the most disliked characters in Landman and the most debated at the same time.

Ali Larter has now and then responded to this negativity by admitting that the character of Angela was never going to be attractive to everyone. Angela, on the other hand, is loud, impulsive, s*xual, and emotionally raw, thereby provoking the audience's response.

With her acting, Larter measures the criticism as part of the role's impact, affirming that the character, if met with strong reactions, is landing as intended.

Angela not being a grounding force

In a manner contrary to traditional expectations regarding an ex-wife or a motherly figure, Angela does not play the role of a soothing character in Landman. She very often escalates tension, unbalances emotions, and brings about confrontations.

Her unpredictability is in tune with the show’s major theme: that life in the oil patch is pressurized, instinct-driven, and full of emotional risks.

Why Angela sparks debate

Angela Norris is the most remarkable character in Landman, as she does not give in to easy moral categorization. She is neither the clear-cut villain nor the hero who brings stability. Rather, she is a paradox, nurturing yet ruinous, self-assured yet oblivious, and attractive yet divisive.

The multifacetedness of her character has led to her being the centre of all discussion, criticism, and analysis. Larter has pointed out that such a role requires the acceptance of discomfort, both on the part of the audience and the performers, throughout the whole process.

Landman and the risk of character-driven narratives

Landman is a series that depends on characters erred by their humanity to make emotionally charged decisions under difficult circumstances. Angela Norris is the perfect illustration of this. The character’s presence raises the stakes, as the conflict gets deeper, and the audience can see the show’s commitment to presenting human behavior as it is.